By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Town Council declined a request from the Massena Senior Citizens to hire the organization a clerk who would also help with cleaning.

“What do I feel as the town supervisor is the taxpayers’ obligation to fund a private organization,” Town Supervisor Joseph Gray said. “It gets more difficult in my opinion to fund a private organization.”

MSC President Sylvia Despaw said they have lost their executive director and the village isn’t cleaning the wing designated for the MSC.

“They don’t do the senior wing. They help do the hallway and the rest we do ourselves,” Despaw said. “I’ve been president four years and I’ve never seen anyone clean there.”

“We pay the village to do that every year in our budget,” Gray said.

Town Bookkeeper Nancy Fregoe said the town pays the $85,000 yearly mortgage payment and $25,000 in maintenance fees.

The town has been cutting contributions to private organizations, including Meals on Wheels and the Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce.

The MSC received $4,200 last year from the town, down $500 from the previous year.

The executive director budget is $6,500.

MSC Treasurer Carol Ladue asked if the town, rather than hiring someone, could give extra money and the seniors could use it for contractual services.

“If you’re not paying $6,500 to the director, could you raise our money to $6,000 … so we can use that money as we see fit to do it,” Ladue said, adding that the club serves more than 500 members.

The board wasn’t keen on the idea.

“We’re trying to get away from funding private organizations,” Gray said.

Many of the MSC members said their group is in turmoil because they allege their former executive director, Sheila Benn, wasn’t doing her job.

“I can’t imagine she sat at her desk and did nothing,” Councilman John Macaulay said.

“Your imagination is correct, sir,” MSC member Brian Schaffer replied.

“She was supposed to support us. She did not,” Despaw said.